Julie Morse's Blog (82)

Nothing — not even medical images —are safe from cyberattacks. On May 12, the WannaCry ransomware attack infected around 300,000 operating systems in 150 countries. Among the casualties were 48 British hospital trusts, and many hospitals were forced to cancel or…

Artificial Intelligence is encroaching on the way Chinese radiologists read breast scans. This month, the National Clinical Research Center for Cancer (NCRCC) signed a contract with the Institute of Computing Technology, a research center at the Chinese Academy of…

In the classic horror filmCarrie, Sissy Spacek plays a teenager with telekinesis who uses her mental powers to burn down her high school gym after her classmates pour a bucket of pig’s blood on her head. Although telekinesis is usually just a…

Zebra Medical Vision is partnering with India-based Teleradiology Solutions (TRS) to deliver its deep learning-powered image analysis system to 150 hospitals in 20 countries throughout Asia and Africa.…

The world’s most popular chat service Whatsapp, with more than 1.2 billion active users, is regularly used by medical professionals within England’s National Health Service. Although sending patient information through messaging platforms is strictly prohibited by British authorities,…

Howard University College of Medicine is updating their first-year curriculum to include courses that integrate radiology with anatomy studies. This initiative was introduced as a response to managing funding, faculty, and time constraints.…

Despite the influx of cell phones, laptops, tablets, and other gadgets meant to streamline communication, radiologists and referring physicians still struggle to establish effective lines of communication. Yet, findings from a…

In the 1907 World Series, the Detroit Tigers tried to defeat the Chicago Cubs by surreptitiously using an unsanctioned baseball. Their attempts were unsuccessful, and the Cubs went on to win the World Series. Despite their victory,…

There’s a disparity between radiologists’ commitment to providing strong patient care, and the number of patients who feel they’re receiving adequate attention. Although many radiologists want to maintain an open rapport with their patients, an overwhelming workload often hinders them from engaging in high level…

Referrals are a main facet of medicine’s ecosystem. Amino, a platform that synthesizes data from insurance companies to create a transparent healthcare marketplace, wanted to get a full perspective of how referrals work. So they evaluated…

Patient satisfaction is the focal point of healthcare. It’s the ultimate way to measure the effectiveness of a facility and the quality of practitioners. High patient satisfaction means strong patient retention and reduced risk of malpractice. Over…

Studies have shown that gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) can leave traces of gadolinium in the brain. By and large, the diagnosis tool is considered safe for non-renal insufficient patients. However, research over the last few years has made medical policy advocates think differently about the way we should use GBCAs.…

Radiologists (and all physicians for that matter) are compensated based on RVU, or relative value unit. RVUs are measured using a variety of factors: work, expenses, and liability insurance. Those variables are divided into different components that evaluate time, skill, judgement, equipment, and supplies. The Medicare rate is determined by multiplying the…

Getting a second opinion was once considered an optional consultation. Yet, over the last couple of years, research has determined that a second opinion is imperative to a patient’s health. According to a 2016study…

Text messaging has become the dominant form of communication. So that’s why it would make sense to send patients appointment-reminders via text message. A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology determined that texting a patient to remind them of their upcoming MRI exam reduced no-shows by 1.3…

An enlarged prostate can seriously impede daily life functions. Benign prostate hyperplasia, or an enlarged prostate affects 80 percent of males, and that same percentage experience complications such as urinary retention and kidney damage. Traditional remedies include invasive surgery, cutting the tissue out, and other advancements that diminish the…